


Fever Dream

by Stormtide_Leviathan



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27124133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormtide_Leviathan/pseuds/Stormtide_Leviathan
Summary: Alex has a bad dream, or is it something more sinister? (AU to Abberation by RedXEagl3)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Fever Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedXEagl3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedXEagl3/gifts).



Alex awoke with a startled gasp. He felt a warm layer of sweat upon his forehead, to which he reflexively wiped away. His next action was to reach for his blade, Sol, though he was only graced with his bare hip. 

Eyes flickered to adjust to the light. He was in a large cot, much like the one he remembered sleeping in. Only the light flickering of torches out from underneath the tent flap helped illuminate the room. He glanced over at the body sleeping next to him in the dark, breathing rhythmically and steadily. She was still asleep, thankfully. 

He sat up on the bed, giving his good arm a stretch. Wasn’t he fighting Grima? He could remember the events so vividly, but was it all a dream? Perhaps the anxiety was getting to him. It was the end after all. The last gambit to stop the Fell Dragon with the power of his liege, Chrom, and Robin, the faithful tactician who was his ward. Victory felt so close. 

_And here I am having dreams about it already happening, with me dying a gruesome death. How quaint._

Alex grumbled underneath his breath. He’d need his rest for the coming battle tomorrow and staying up all night wouldn’t help him. His gaze drifted down towards his wife, barely making out her silhouette in the dark. This would potentially be the last time he would cuddle up to his wife, Cordelia, so why not simply cuddle up? 

With a slight creak in the cot, Alex carefully lowered himself back into bed, tossing the cover over him. He scooched and maneuvered to spoon his wife’s back, embracing her warmth and closeness. Something to take the edge of the nipping anxiety, yet, tomorrow could wait for now. This is all that mattered right now. 

A soft groan escaped his wife’s lips, and Alex let out a single amused chuckle. “Didn’t mean to wake you,” He said softly, wrapping his free arm around her waist. 

“It’s fine, my love.” 

Alex froze. 

His arm stopped moving around her waist as he felt the woman snuggle up closer into his body. Reflexively, he held his breath. Alex propped himself up on his side and squinted through the darkness at the woman beside him. Cordelia’s voice didn’t sound like that; soft and airy. 

_Maybe I’m just hearing shit, but that sounded like-_

“C’mon, stop hogging all the blankets,” The woman lazily teased, tugging on the thick cotton blankets. “I’d rather not wrestle you for it,” she giggled and lowered her voice,” Though, the thought of going another round with you _is_ enticing.” 

Sumia. That was Sumia’s voice. 

Alex’s throat felt like he hadn’t drunk anything in days suddenly. No words of contention would slip out as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, only let out small warm puffs of air out. 

_Why is Chrom’s wife in my goddamn bed? Where is Cordelia? Where the fu-_

Sumia let out a gentle sigh and sat up. “Are the nerves getting to you? You can talk to me, you know.” 

Alex sharply inhaled. The king’s wife, Sumia, was stark naked in _his_ bed beside him. It didn’t seem like she was trying to seduce him. Through the flickering faded light, she seemed worried as a hand gently caressed his bicep. He flinched at the touch. 

“You _are_ jumpy. More than usual,” Sumia said. “Here, let me turn on a lantern.” 

Sumia slipped out of bed and Alex heard a clicking sound near his wife’s side, and then light flooded the room. Every fiber in his brain was screaming for him to do anything. Talk. Scream. Run. 

Instead, he watched Sumia’s naked form raise the rounded iron lantern onto the bed. Her face looked tense and worried, a soft expression Alex had seen many times before. 

_But never directed at me. It was always toward-_

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Alex grit his teeth. “...What are you doing here?” 

Sumia frowned as she bent beside her side of the cot and slipped on a loose-fitting cotton shirt. He tried not to stare, but with the initial shock wearing off and him finding his words it was harder to focus now. She _did_ look good. Her facial features being softer than Cordelia’s, her height being a decent way shorter, and the toned physique of a dedicated pegasus knight that Alex knew all too well. The adrenaline was fading, though buried deep within he still could feel a small voice screaming. 

“That’s what you’re going to ask?” Sumia asked, her lips curling upward. “Maybe I should tell Vaike and the others not to wallop you over the head next time you go to poker night.”

“Uh, yeah,” Alex slowly replied. “But, why are _you_ here?” Alex looked around the room wildly, like an animal searching for an invisible predator. “Is this some kind of joke? Where is Cordelia?” 

“Oh no.” Sumia rushed around the bed to Alex’s side. She pulled him into a hug, that against his better judgment, he didn’t resist. The worry in her eyes seemed genuine and dulled his confusion and anger. “You had that dream again, didn’t you?” 

“Dream. What dream?” 

Sumia brushed up against Alex’s side; goosebumps pricking across his arm as he felt her tender embrace. “You don’t have to play coy, darling. We’ve been over this. I know you miss her. I miss her too.” 

Ghost pains shot through Alex’s missing hand. He looked slowly toward Sumia, who was pressed firmly against his side. “...What happened?” Alex whispered. 

Sumia sighed. “Valm happened, dear. Valm.” 

“She burned.” Alex felt his lower jaw tremble. “It was that...fat, greasy bastard Excellus, wasn’t it?” 

“Yes. I know you blame yourself, but please try to leave that in the past,” Sumia said. “If not for me, then for yourself. That’s all I ask, is that you find it in yourself to forgive yourself. We both knew she was never the same since Chrom became engaged to Olivia.” 

“What now?” Alex said, feeling more lucid as he peered into Sumia’s eyes through her curly bedhead that obscured part of her eyes. “I don’t-”

Sumia pressed her index finger against Alex’s lips, his eyes bulging in surprise, though he didn’t remove it. Something about it felt natural. “It was Chrom’s proposal wedding, don’t you remember? You were looking to console here.” Sumia nodded her head as if trying to jog her memory. “Yes, and you couldn’t find her, but me instead. We talked, danced, drank, and,” Sumia blushed, turning her head to hide her face, “well, you simply entranced me. Sure you may be a little gruff, but I admire your loyalty and honesty. You speak from the heart, and I love that about you.”

_Chrom and Olivia? That isn’t right. Was everything else just a dream and this is real? What the fuck is happening._

Sumia hugged Alex tightly. “Do you need to get some fresh air?” 

“Yeah,” Alex monotonously said, his eyes transfixed on the tent flap. 

He knew he said that mostly out of fear. A cowardly escape. Fearing the pressure inside his chest would be feelings for her and not Cordelia. Her warmth felt so right beside him as she lightly kissed him on the cheek and flashed him an understanding smile. He felt numb. 

“Don’t be gone too long out there, we will be moving early as you know,” Sumia said as she settled back into bed. “Plus, I’m not sure how long I can go without my bed heater.” 

Alex offered a weak smile. “R-right. Be back soon.” 

_And hopefully, I’ll get some fucking answers. By Naga’s ass, why must she make it feel so difficult?_

Donning his clothes and boots as fast as his single hand would allow him, Alex left the tent, marching with purpose. He didn’t even bother to tie his boots. He needed some fresh air. Someone else to confirm his madness. A sign of anything normal about why the king’s wife was in _his_ bed and convinced that-

Cordelia was dead. 

Alex stopped in his tracks as he entered the center of the dimly lit camp. The cool evening breeze threatened to snuff the nearby torches as the flames flickered wildly, casting long shadows across the arborous sloped terrain. He felt his stomach churn as he considered Cordelia’s death, but banished the thought, pushing it away deeper. That wasn’t good. It was _too_ easy, and yet it didn’t bother Alex nearly as much as he wanted it to. 

_Definitely somewhere in Ylisse...Ferox and Plegia aren’t this pleasant. But why am I here? Why do I feel the way I do? Maybe if I find Robin. Also, who the hell is on the watch?_

Striding over to the tent directly across from his own, Alex put his ear up against the tent flap. Loud snoring. Alex chuckled to himself and shook his head. 

_Vaike._

Alex looked around the camp again, at the three remaining tents. He shrugged and marched over to the one adjacent to Vaike’s. It would be a process of elimination. The odds were good he’d find someone smarter than ole’ Teach to help him make sense of this. 

He peered into the next tent, peeling the flap back slightly. Two bodies on a cot sleeping soundly, alchemical ingredients, and tomes. Alex stuck his head a bit further through the threshold, squinting his eyes. 

_It looks like Libra...and Tharja._

“Hard fucking pass,” Alex mumbled under his breath. He backed away from the tent, shaking his head. While desperate for answers; seeking Tharja’s help wasn’t a level of desperation he had reached. Not yet, at least. 

With an awkward gait to keep his unbuckled boots on, Alex trudged to the next tent. Quietly peeling back the tent flap, he saw a familiar sight. Maps covering the walls of the tent, a still burning candle nearly spent, and a white-haired tactician hunched over a makeshift desk. Robin seemed focused as he was writing something with incredible speed. 

Alex went to speak, but as he opened his mouth he heard another voice. “Father?” 

Whipping his head around, he looked over his shoulder to see a figure in purplish armor. Lush brunette hair tied into a utilitarian ponytail fell over her left shoulder as her spear rested on her right shoulder. 

“Cynthia?” Alex whispered, hearing shuffling within Robin’s tent. His stealth evaporated as soon as he noisily turned to face the young pegasus knight. 

“Yeah, you doing okay? You look, um, a little lost,” Cynthia said as she awkwardly gestured to Alex’s ramshackle attire. “I just finished a perimeter check. Did something wake you in the camp?” 

The tent flap opened up. “Alex,” Robin said in a tired voice. “Restless again? The bandits won’t ambush us from this far out, rest assured.” 

“Bandits? What about Grima? What about-” Alex put out his good hand as if to brace himself against the wind itself. His heart felt like a badly abused kick drum as it thrummed inside his chest. He dry heaved. 

“Oh, Naga...another episode. Father are you-” 

Robin shot Cynthia a sharp look. “Go back to guard. I’ll handle this.” Robin grabbed Alex underneath the bicep and began to lead him out of camp. “Don’t worry old friend, it’s alright. I’m here for you.” 

“Where are we going?” Alex mumbled, ducking under a branch as Robin led him into the dense foliage. 

“Somewhere for you to clear your head. It’s been a while since we’ve done this.” Robin moved another branch out of the way, sighing. “It’s okay to feel guilty, Alex. We all have our scars from fighting Grima. Figured this excursion would help us refocus. Bond.” 

“What are you talking about? Grima is still out there-” 

“Grima has been dead for months Alex,” Robin said, looking over his shoulder. “We won, but that doesn’t mean danger isn’t still out there. I’m worried about you. I presume you’re still having the dreams?” 

“Dreams? What dreams?” 

“The one’s where you believe you’re with Cordelia.” 

Alex's stomach dropped. Nearly stumbling on the gnarled root path, Robin tugged harder to lead his friend deeper into the forest. “I know the guilt is eating you up.” Robin sighed and paused. “It’s been nipping at me too. We’ve lost so many, but you really tried to shoulder all blame yourself for her death in Valm. I miss her too despite our differing opinions, but just know that it’s okay, and you still have a wonderful wife and daughter.” 

The branch woven path opened up, giving way to a grand view overlooking a great cliffside. No clouds obstructed the stars and moon hanging in the sky like radiant beacons over the shadowy forest. The ground softly crunched under Alex’s boots as Robin pulled him along. 

“Now, take a look at that sight.” Robin smiled and patted Alex on the shoulder. “Look at all we’ve managed to preserve. Look at what _we all_ saved. Sights like this exist thanks to our triumph. Remember that.” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Alex hummed, taking in the serene expanse. Trees as far as he could see, sprawling over various elevations and hills. It felt calm and for a moment, his worries washed away. 

Alex nodded. “Right. How did we do?” He looked over to his friend, who was also admiring the scenic view. “Like, how did we beat Grima?” 

“Chrom used the Fire Emblem. Drained the Fell Dragon of his power, and we managed to finish him off thanks to a noble sacrifice from Frederick.” 

_That makes sense. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that question._

“So, how are you and...Morgan?” Alex asked, mildly wondering how much had changed. 

“She’s great,” Robin chuckled. “Like a miniature version of me. If I don’t stay on top of my game, she might take my job! It’s just...wonderful, Alexander.” 

“That’s great, really that’s-” Alex clammed up and took a step back. 

_Wait, what did he call me? What in the goddamn?_

“Something wrong?”

Alex dismissively waved his hand. “No, just...going to test something out.” 

_God, I hope I’m fucking right._

Tensing his leg muscles, Alex bolted past Robin. This all felt too surreal. Too right. There was only one last thing to dispel his doubts about what seemed too good to be true. Pain. 

“What are you doing?” Robin yelled, his voice wavering. “Stop, there is a cliff!” 

“I know! That’s the point!” Alex shouted back, his feet leaving the ground. 

_Please work._

Robin’s scream seemed to fade as Alex plummeted into the dark abyss of trees below. With a dull thud, Alex landed on the ground face first, groaning. He reached out with his good hand to prop himself up, though no soreness greeted his body. Nothing felt broken. Not even any pain. 

“ **You were so close, Alexander,”** A voice nearby mused in a deep rich tone. Almost melodic. “ **Tell me, what gave it away?”**

Alex forced himself to his feet, hands ready to strike. Robin stood across from him, only slivers of moonlight through the dimly lit canopy shining showing his body, yet masking his face.

_Fucking knew it._

“Robin doesn’t call me, _‘Alexander’_ like that. You slipped up.” 

Grima let out a deep sigh. “ **You just couldn’t be happy, could you? Only an insane man would dare question paradise.”**

 **“** Are you trying to trick me or something?” Alex spat out. “Afraid that you’ll lose?” 

**“Afraid?”** Grima mimicked, followed by a soft chuckle. “ **Hardly. Why would I be afraid, when I’ve already won?”**

Grima stepped into the moonlight, revealing dull red eyes and a twisted smirk. Alex’s legs felt as if they were filled with cement as he watched the Fell Dragon’s avatar stride up to him. The screaming from before deep inside Alex seemed louder than before, but still no more than a whisper. 

_Move! He’s right-_

“ **Right there?”** Grima finished, the color draining from Alex’s face. The beast gently stroked Alex’s cheek with the back of his hand, flashing him a look mixed with pity and amusement. “ **Oh, Alexander. I do love the games we play, yet you are a tad predictable.”** Grima backed away, placing his hands behind his back. **“I deliberately let you catch me, Alexander. This is what I crave. This fear you experience right now. Your screams of anguish fuel me.”**

Alex continued to glare at the monster’s humanoid mask. “W-what are you saying,” Alex said softly. “What have you done?” 

Grima smiled. “ **I’ve done nothing, other than grant you paradise, but only one as broken as you could find something wrong with that.”** Grima clicked his tongue and shook his head as if chiding a child. **“We’ve had enough fun tonight. It’s time to wake up, Verrat.”**

The voice screaming inside Alex grew louder, more panicked. The world began to fade to black around him as Grima laughed. 

“ **You threw away happiness all for the truth. Tell me, Alexander, was it worth it?”** Grima said, his voice beginning to fade with Alex’s other senses. “ **Fret not, your friends will be joining you soon enough. You’re rather good at getting them killed, aren’t you?”**

A cacophony of screams and laughter emanated within Alex’s mind as Verrat awoke. 


End file.
